Cough syrup-linked deaths: Toll rises to 22 as two more children succumb

Two more children from Madhya Pradesh have succumbed to kidney infections caused by the consumption of a "contaminated" cough syrup, taking the death toll to 22, an official said on Thursday.

Five-year-old Vishal died on Wednesday evening and Mayank Suryavanshi, aged 4, succumbed late at night while undergoing treatment at a hospital in Nagpur in neighbouring Maharashtra, Chhindwara's Additional Collector Dhirendra Singh Netri said.

The two children hailed from Parasia town in Chhindwara, he said. The death toll has now gone up to 22, the official said.

These children from Chhindwara died due to suspected kidney failure, which is linked to the consumption of 'toxic' Coldrif cough syrup, as per officials.

Some other children from MP were undergoing treatment in Nagpur, they said.

The Madhya Pradesh Police have formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the deaths and filed a case against the Tamil Nadu-based manufacturer of Coldrif.

The SIT on Thursday arrested Tamil Nadu-based Sresan Pharma owner Ranganathan Govindan from Chennai in connection with the adulterated cough syrup case, Sub Divisional Officer of Police (SDOP) Parasia, Jitendra Singh Jaat told PTI.

The police have also sealed the drug factory, he said.

The accused will be produced in a Chennai court for obtaining his transit remand and will be brought to Parasia by Friday, he added.

The MP government earlier this week suspended two drug inspectors and a deputy director of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and transferred the state's drug controller amid an investigation into the children's deaths.

Chhindwara-based Dr Praveen Soni has been arrested for alleged negligence.

A local court in Parasia town on Wednesday rejected the bail application of Soni.

The Indian Medical Association has threatened to go on an indefinite strike in the district against Dr Soni's arrest on Thursday.